Ancient Pompeian Man Almost Escaped the Eruption, but Was Decapitated by a Flying Rock

Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano in Italy, is famous for erupting in 79 A.D. and scorching everything in its wake, most notably the ancient city of Pompeii. But not everyone fleeing the apocalyptic lava river was burned alive, as researchers uncovered a 2,000-year-old skeleton amid the ruins of Pompeii, concluding that it belonged to a man who was crushed by a rock while trying to escape.

In a reminder of life's infinite futility, the skeleton was found beneath a huge stone that researchers think could have been a door jamb. The man was ostensibly killed after "he was struck by the dense pyroclastic flow which threw him back," according to a statement released by the Archeological Park of Pompeii. In other words, the man, believed to be in his 30s when the volcano began belching, was struck by a huge rock and killed instantly while fleeing the snaking flow of lava. So far, his head hasn't been located.

"A formidable stone block (perhaps a door jamb), violently thrown by the volcanic cloud, collided with his upper body, crushing the highest part of the thorax and yet-to-be-identified head, which lie at a lower height of the lower limbs, and probably under the stone block," the statement continued.

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On an even grimmer note, the man was reportedly suffering from an infection in his leg during the eruption, which greatly hampered his ability to not be melted into a boiling human stew by the rampaging lava. Such is life.

Massimo Osanna, general director of the Archeological Park of Pompeii, told CNN that new technology should be lauded for helping find the headless, dead guy:

"This discovery has shown the leaps in the archeological field. The team on site are not just archeologists but experts in many fields; engineers, restorers and (have) the technical tools like drones and 3D scanners," he said.

So please pour one out for the ancient man, who almost escaped the burning village of Pompeii, only to be smashed by a giant door jamb in an apt metaphor for life back then, but also now.

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Esquire. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.